


to shine with my share of light

by snowglobes



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Kim Jongin | Kai/Lee Taemin, Pining, Polyamory Negotiations, domestic suyeol since i can't write anything else, mentions of other members - Freeform, really only a few spicie scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowglobes/pseuds/snowglobes
Summary: Jongdae's a little in love with the cute couple on the subway, and he doesn't quite know what to do about it when the objects of his affection are blind to his existence.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen, Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Byun Baekhyun/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 60
Kudos: 346
Collections: Unrestricted Love Poly Fic Fest, WIP OLYMPICS: WINTER 2019/20





	to shine with my share of light

**Author's Note:**

> to my prompter: I hope you like this!! I had a lot of fun writing this, and really enjoyed writing from Jongdae's perspective, as I don't do it often. 
> 
> Prompt: Person A sees B and C on the train heading home from work every day and thinks they are just the cutest couple ever. He’s maybe a bit obsessed with them. But when one day person B is on the train all by himself, and the day after that, and the day after that, person A makes it his mission to get them back together. And maybe falls in love along the way.

Jongdae skidded through the closing doors of the train by a margin so slim he would have been yelled at by the metro workers for dangerous behavior had any of them been around to witness it. But he absolutely, could not, miss the six thirty train. His last lesson had run two minutes later than usual, throwing his entire commute home off. 

But he never missed the six thirty train. It was the best part of his day. 

He adjusted the satchel on his shoulder and politely squeezed through the crowded train, looking for the by-now familiar head of rosy pink hair. He was easier to spot than the other. As he struggled to catch his breath he looked around, sighing when he spotted them leaning against a pole a few feet away. 

He carefully maneuvered himself closer to them, just enough so that if they talked with one another he would be able to hear them, but far enough away to be unobtrusive. 

This. This was why his commute home was his favorite part of the day. 

He’d first noticed them a few months ago on his daily trip home. They were always on the six thirty train and always together, heads bent close and whispering together. Today they were quiet, leaning into each other. The pink-haired one had a grip on a pole, his other hand around his partner’s waist, holding him close as they swayed with the movement of the train. 

Jongdae was maybe a little obsessed with them. 

“Baek, I’m so tired.” 

He perked up. He’d never caught anything close to a name before. Then again, this was the closest he’d been to them in recent weeks. He usually didn’t try and get very close, content to observe them being cute from a distance. 

Rose hair—Baek, he figured—rubbed his nose gently against the other’s temple. Jongdae wanted to coo at the tender gesture. “It’s okay Min. I’ll make dinner tonight.” 

Min sighed, butting his head into Baek’s like a cat asking for pets. “Mmmm thank you.” 

They fell silent once more, and Jongdae allowed himself a small smile. Rushing for the train had definitely been worth it. 

“Jun, they’re so cute!” Jongdae exclaimed, swanning into Junmyeon’s office and collapsing on his couch. 

“You know,” Junmyeon began mildly, “you could make an appointment to see me, like everyone else.” 

Jongdae frowned. “But I’m your best friend! Not a patient.” 

“Chanyeol makes appointments.” 

“You’re _married_ to Chanyeol, and the only reason he makes appointments is so he can take naps on this couch.” Jongdae patted the sofa under him. “I shouldn’t need an appointment to come visit my best friend when I know he’s on lunch.” 

“You’re here to moon over your metro crushes.” Junmyeon munched a bite of his salad. “Don’t pretend otherwise.” 

Jongdae got up and crossed to behind Junmyeon’s desk, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Awwww you know I love you.” 

Junmyeon patted his arms. “Yes, yes. Now, tell me what cute things they did last night.” 

“Jun you should have seen it! They were leaning against each other, looking so soft and sleepy. Oh! And I learned their names, or at least parts of them. Baek and Min.” He swooned back onto the couch. 

“It only took you, what, three months to catch their names? In another three you might actually manage to smile at them.” 

Jongdae whined at him. 

“Get out of here,” he said fondly. “My next appointment is going to be here any second.” 

“I can’t believe you’re kicking me out in my time of need! Metro couple are sending me into crisis, and you don’t even care.” 

“I care about finishing my lunch. Just talk to them, Jongdae.” 

“But they’ll think I’m creepy! I can’t just go up to them and say “hi, I’ve been watching you two for months and you’re the best part of my trip home I think I’m a little in love with you” like?” He squinted at Junmyeon. “That’s not a viable option. So, I’m going to do the sensible thing and pine from a distance, and—” he faltered as the door opened to reveal Chanyeol, who glanced at Jongdae before coming in. “And so I’ll deal with the problem and hope it goes away. I’ll be fine.” 

Chanyeol paused halfway to Junmyeon’s desk. “Still in love with the metro couple? Sucks.” 

“I’ve never told you about that!” 

Chanyeol crossed to Junmyeon and bent down, kissing him hello. 

“You know I don’t keep secrets from my husband, Jongdae,” Junmyeon said. 

Jongdae gestured to the couch beneath him. “I thought everything that was said here remained confidential!” 

“Yes, to paying clients.” Junmyeon gave him a flat look. “Now, go suck it up and talk to the cute couple so I can make out with my husband.” 

Chanyeol pulled Junmyeon out of his chair and into his arms, smiling smugly at Jongdae over Junmyeon’s head, his hands creeping up the back of Junmyeon’s sweater. 

“You’re both gross,” Jongdae griped as he fled the office. 

He ignored the way the door locked behind him. 

Two days later and Jongdae was still too chicken shit to talk to them, but he wasn’t timid enough to keep from openly gaping as Baek fiddled with Min’s hand in his lap, lacing their fingers together and tracing invisible lines along the back of his hand while Min rested his head on Baek’s shoulder. They were both sitting across from Jongdae, the train less crowded on a Tuesday evening, and they were so lost in each other they didn’t notice his eyes on them. 

Which was probably good, considering Jongdae was staring like an absolute _freak._

Baek turned his head, listening intently to whatever Min was saying before throwing his head back and laughing loud enough that several people around them jumped, the movement jostling Min and making him sit up. 

They talked animatedly after that, Baek continuing to play with one of Min’s hands. Jongdae had to suppress a very girlish squeal when Min reached up with his free hand to smooth the scraggly strands of pink hair out of Baek’s eyes. 

It was the look in his eyes, more than the action, that had Jongdae’s heart skipping in his chest. There was so much fondness, his expression tender as Baek continued to prattle, a seemingly ceaseless torrent of words about his day spilling from his lips. They looked so happy, so lost in their own world. 

Jongdae ached to talk to them. For them to know he existed. 

Another day, maybe. 

**< <Jongdae**

_I’m not going to see them today T_T_

**> >Myeonnie**

_Whatever will you do?_

_How will you survive?_

**< <Jongdae**

_I had to get on the train_

_A few stops earlier_

_so i don’t think i’m going to see them >.< _

**> >Myeonnie**

_You’re sooooo annoying_

_but i’ll bite_

_why did you have to get on the train a few stops earlier?_

**< <Jongdae**

_I had a new lesson_

_different district_

_it changes my commute on Wednesdays_

**> >Myeonnie**

_Chanyeol says it’s sad how much of your life_

_revolves around these men_

_i won’t even charge you for that advice_

**< <Jongdae**

_you’ve been charging me?? since when??_

_also fuck u yeol_

_it is not sad to have a crush!!!_

**> >Myeonnie**

_I’m keeping track of the time you cost me_

_planning on having you in my debt for a while_

_i’m gonna go have sex now_

_bye_

Jongdae didn’t even bother to respond. Junmyeon wouldn’t even see it until morning, so there wasn’t much point anyway. He pretended to be grossed out, but Junmyeon and Chanyeol had only been married for a few months, and their constant need to be together was sweet, in a sort of stomach-ache inducing way. 

He tucked his phone away and sighed, only to perk up as the train pulled into the station, a familiar head of hair walking on as the doors opened. He held his breath as Min sat in the seat next to him, earbuds in and texting on his phone. 

Jongdae was frozen. He hadn’t expected Min to be on the train. But the more he thought about it, the more stupid he realized he’d been not to consider it earlier. Of course they didn’t get on at the same stop! Why would they, unless they worked at the same company or very close together. They were already both on the train when Jongdae got on at his usual stop, but that didn’t mean they got on at the same time. 

Min without Baek was weird. He was quieter, more drawn into himself. Jongdae watched him fiddle with his phone for a while before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He looked tired, when Jongdae looked closer. Smudges of purple under his eyes, the downward pull of his lips. 

He hoped he was getting enough rest. 

A few stops later, Baek showed up. He made his way over to Min and sat next to him, completely ignoring Jongdae on Min’s opposite side. He gently nudged Min, prompting him to smile and pull his earbuds out. 

“Hi.” 

Baek smiled softly. “I brought you this.” He held out a pastry. “It’s coffee cake. I figured you would be tired and need a boost after last night.” 

Min’s mouth pinched at the corners. “About that.” His voice lowered. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun.” 

Baekhyun shook his head, hair flying with the force of his enthusiasm. “No, Minseok, _I’m_ sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know how stressed you are.” His smile was timid now. “Please don’t apologize.” 

Minseok broke off a piece of the cake and ate it, humming. “Thanks for the cake, baby.” He held another piece to Baekhyun’s lips, a genuine smile quirking the corners of his mouth as he slipped the cake through his lips. “I really appreciate it.” 

Jongdae pretended to look at his phone, hoping it wasn’t too obvious that he was listening intently to their conversation. 

“How was work?” 

That was Baekhyun asking. He still couldn’t believe he knew their names now. 

“It was alright. One of my authors is behind on their manuscript. I’m probably going to have to give them an extension, which is going to throw all my other projects off-schedule.” A sigh. “But I’ll figure it out. How was your day?” 

A contemplative sounding hum from Baekhyun. “Well, Junhee actually practiced this week, so I could teach her new technique. And Jihoon is doing really well on the piano. He’s a little genius, I swear.” 

“How late did you stay up playing video games with Heechul?” 

“Oh, you could hear that?” An embarrassed laugh. 

“I eventually put a pillow over my head and went to sleep. I didn’t hear you come to bed, though.” 

“Ahh...my first lesson was this afternoon, so I was up pretty late. Sorry.” 

Jongdae raised his eyebrows at the sudoku game he was doing very slowly, in an attempt to appear uninterested. If Baekhyun was apologizing over the late-night gaming now, then what had the earlier apology been about? 

“It’s okay. The cake is helping.” 

The train announced his stop, and Jongdae hissed in surprise. “Shit.” He hastily gathered his satchel, slinging it over his shoulder and brushing past Minseok and Baekhyun with muttered apologies, barely making it off the train before the doors closed. 

“I need a life. Or a boyfriend,” he muttered. 

“I’ve been saying that for the last three months,” Junmyeon agreed, indulging Jongdae over drinks at their favorite bar. 

Chanyeol sat down with their next round, slinging a muscled arm over Junmyeon’s shoulders and pulling him close as they cuddled opposite Jongdae in their usual booth. “Things not going well with metro couple?” 

“Baekhyun and Minseok,” Jongdae hummed, frowning into his drink. “I found out their full names the other day.” 

“Did you actually talk to them?” Junmyeon looked hopeful. Jongdae felt a little bad for crushing his hopes.

“No. Remember when I was on the train a few stops earlier than usual because of the new lessons I picked up? Well, I was on before they were. Minseok got on first and sat right next to me, Baekhyun a few stops later.” He took a deep pull from his glass, liquid burning down his throat. “I could hear their entire conversation. Sounded like they’d had an argument or something, with how much apologizing they did.” 

Junmyeon shrugged. “Couples fight. It’s normal.” 

“Do you and Chanyeol?” 

“No, of course not. We’re perfect for each other.” 

“Hell yeah we are,” Chanyeol agreed, kissing Junmyeon enthusiastically on the cheek. 

Jongdae made a face. 

“Back to the boyfriend issue, though,” Junmyeon resumed the topic from earlier. “I have a few people I could set you up with.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Jongdae rested his chin in his hand. “I just. I feel so warm and peaceful when I see them together. They’re so happy and in love. It makes me want something that real and vibrant.” 

Junmyeon rolled his eyes. “That’s _literally_ what—” He turned to Chanyeol. “Isn’t that literally what I’m trying to help him find? Didn’t I _just_ offer that.” 

“Jun _literally_ just offered to set you up with a few people, Dae,” Chanyeol obliged. “Let us help you.” 

Jongdae mulled it over. He wasn’t sure how to tell them that he kind of just wanted _them._ Minseok and Baekhyun. Not someone else. But he knew Junmyeon would just squint at him and lecture him about falling in love with strangers blah blah, how it was not good because he didn’t know them at _all_ blah blah dangerous expression of feelings, etc. Having a therapist as a best friend was a double edged sword. 

“Okay,” he relented. “Set me up.” 

He regretted his slightly drunken agreement later, when Junmyeon texted him several pictures of a pretty girl and told him to clear his schedule Thursday afternoon for a coffee date. 

“Her name’s Bomi,” Junmyeon explained over the phone. “And she’s your type. Meet her and see what you think.” 

She was indeed very pretty, Jongdae admitted. Which is why he found himself sitting across from her and learning that they had almost nothing in common. 

Bomi was nice, though, and very sweet. Pretty smile, long ebony curls. He wasn’t _blind._ And if he hadn’t been hung up on two very taken men, he’d probably ask for a second date. 

But she didn’t give any signals of wanting one, and so he didn’t. 

He’d had to reschedule some of his vocal students for later in the evening, to accommodate the lunch, so he mentally said farewell to seeing his favorite couple on the metro that night. He was a full hour later. 

It would take a miracle. 

His jaw dropped when he saw Baekhyun talking softly with Minseok on the train, Minseok’s hand shoved in the pocket of Baekhyun’s coat with his own hand. He nearly pinched himself, just to be sure, but as the car swayed over a curve someone bumped into them, sending Minseok stumbling into Baekhyun slightly, and Jongdae knew it wasn’t his overactive mind playing tricks on him. 

Curiosity getting the best of him, Jongdae wandered closer to where they were, until he could catch their murmured conversations. He absently scrolled through his Twitter feed, trying not to obviously eavesdrop. 

“I feel bad working so late all the time,” Minseok was saying. “You don’t have to wait for me.” 

“I stayed an extra hour at the lounge, made more in tips. It’s fine, Min.” 

“Thank you, for putting up with my work schedule.” 

“You love what you do, how could I not?” 

Jongdae frowned at his phone. That sounded oddly bitter, but he didn’t know Baekhyun at all, really, so he was probably just imagining things. 

They fell silent after that and got off a few stops later. 

Jongdae returned to his empty apartment and tried not to feel like something was missing. 

Weekends always felt long. Especially when Junmyeon was too busy fooling around in bed with his husband to hang out with Jongdae, and all he had to occupy himself with was laundry and cleaning. He briefly considered texting Sehun to save him from his boredom (pining), then reconsidered. He was too fragile to take Sehun’s judgy eyebrows over the pathetic state of a) his person and b) his apartment, and he’d started dating someone recently, besides. He was probably busy. 

When he finally admitted to himself, between loads of laundry, that all he really wanted was to see the cute couple from the train, it was late Sunday afternoon. He didn’t have a reason to take the train anywhere, and even if he did, it was unlikely he would see either Baekhyun or Minseok. He really needed to stop fixating on them. 

But he still looked for them on the train Monday morning. 

It took him a moment, but he finally found Minseok sitting in a corner, staring out one of the windows as black tunnel raced by, Baekhyun noticeably absent. 

Jongdae frowned. They always took the morning train together. He swayed as the train went around a curve, watching as Minseok slowly closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip. He didn’t blink them open again. 

Maybe Baekhyun was sick. 

Minseok got off alone at his usual stop, and Jongdae shrugged it off as he got to work, focusing on his students. 

But he thought about it again when he saw Baekhyun on his way home, looking terribly upset for a public space, and Jongdae felt his heart twinge as he watched Baekhyun struggle to hold back tears. In the past, except for rare occasions, Baekhyun had always been cheerful, smile bright. 

Maybe that was why Jongdae did something so monumentally stupid. 

“Hey,” he greeted, sitting next to Baekhyun, only to have him startle in his seat and look at Jongdae with wide, glassy eyes. 

“Hi?” Baekhyun sniffed. “Sorry I’m uh, not having a great day.” 

Jongdae scrambled for his satchel, digging through piano books and sheet music for the package of tissues he always kept with him. “Here,” he offered, once he’d found some. 

Baekhyun took them with a tiny nod and a barely-there, grateful smile. “Thanks…?” He trailed off, looking at Jongdae intently. 

“Oh! I’m Jongdae.” 

“Baekhyun.” 

“Nice to meet you.” 

They sat in silence, Baekhyun occasionally dabbing at his eyes and nose with a tissue, Jongdae humming softly under his breath. He had one piece running through his head, and he couldn’t get it out no matter what he tried. 

“Is that…Gershwin you’re humming?” 

“Yes!” Jongdae turned to Baekhyun. “You know it?” 

_“Rhapsody in Blue_ is one of my favorites.” Baekhyun smiled, more genuine this time. “I’d recognize it anywhere.” 

“Do you play?” 

“Yes, but these days I mostly sing. I work at this jazz lounge as a singer, and teach a few piano lessons.” 

“No way!” Jongdae turned toward him, getting excited. “I teach vocal and piano lessons.” 

Baekhyun smiled, bigger than before. “Really? How odd; we basically have the same job.” He hummed in thought, tissue crumpled in one of his fists, forgotten. “I think I’ve seen you on this train before, now that I think about it. You looked familiar.” 

Oh geez. He hoped Baekhyun hadn’t noticed his hyper fixation on him and Minseok. 

”Ah, I take this train pretty frequently.” Jongdae rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his ears heat. 

Silence stretched between them, unbroken except for the squeal of flanges against rails, until Baekhyun said, “Thank you.” 

It took Jongdae a second, but he caught on when Baekhyun gestured to his face with the hand still holding the tissue. “You’re welcome. I wanted you to smile, not cry.” He shrugged. “I’m but a weak man.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, then he laughed. 

Jongdae tried to die on the spot. It wasn’t working out very well. Why did he say that? He was being creepy, like the old ajusshi who told young girls to smile. He was the _worst._ He— 

“Are you saying I’m pretty?” Baekhyun asked, batting his eyelashes dramatically and resting his chin in his hand. 

His panic evaporated. He blinked, giving Baekhyun a double take. “Cheesy.” 

“You wanted me to cheer up. This is what you get.” Baekhyun shrugged, leaning a little closer to Jongdae. “But, do you?” 

“Do I what?” 

“Think I’m pretty?” 

Jongdae swallowed. “I have eyes.” 

Baekhyun sparkled, a smile quirking his lips. “That you do.” 

His stop was announced as the next, and Jongdae gathered his things. “This is my stop; I’ll see you around?” 

Baekhyun looked at the scrollbar. “Oh, mine too!” 

“Really?” Jongdae tried to keep his surprise from his voice, aiming for curiosity. Baekhyun and Minseok had always gotten off somewhere after him. 

“Yeah I uh, used to go further down the line, but I,” he paused and scratched at his nose. “I moved out of my place suddenly over the weekend, and I’m staying with a friend until I find a new place.” 

“Oh. That sounds stressful.” Jongdae’s mind was racing while he tried not to jump to conclusions with all the pieces he had. 

“Something like that,” Baekhyun muttered, as they stepped off the train together once the doors opened. “Anyway, thanks again.” 

“Anytime. Have a nice night.” He waved as Baekhyun turned and was swallowed by the evening rush of commuters. 

“I think the cute couple broke up,” Jongdae said, as soon as Junmyeon opened the door. 

”Good evening, Jongdae. What brings you to our home, right before dinner?” 

Jongdae brushed past him as he walked into their apartment. “I’m serious, Junmyeon.” 

“So am I. I enjoy a warning when my friends want to come over.” 

“I can leave?” Jongdae sat on the couch, making himself comfortable. 

Junmyeon sighed heavily. “You know you’re always welcome.” 

“Thanks, love you too.” 

Junmyeon joined him on the couch. “But seriously, warn me next time. Chanyeol and I could have been fucking.” 

“Gross.” 

“We have a very active sex life. Please don’t ruin it. Call first.” 

“His libido is terrifying,” Chanyeol agreed, as he passed the living room to the kitchen. “We’ve fucked like, twice today and he’ll still be down for two more rounds tonight.” 

“Thanks,” Jongdae deadpanned. “I didn’t ask.” 

Junmyeon waggled his eyebrows. 

“I’ll call next time. Warning received.” 

“So, what’s new with the metro couple?” Chanyeol asked, joining them in the living room with three wine glasses and a bottle of red. “I assume that’s why you’re here?” 

Jongdae took the offered glass. “Am I really so predictable?” 

“These days? Yes.” Junmyeon pressed a kiss to Chanyeol’s cheek as he took his own glass of wine. 

He wrinkled his nose as Chanyeol sat behind Junmyeon, pulling him against his chest between his legs, one arm around his waist and the other holding his own glass. “I think they broke up.” 

“Why?” Chanyeol turned his big puppy eyes on Jongdae, like he was the one who’d broken them up. 

“What makes you think that?” Junmyeon clarified, sipping from his glass and relaxing into Chanyeol’s hold. 

“This morning I saw Minseok by himself, without Baekhyun.” 

“That’s hardly reason to think they’ve broken up.” 

“Baekhyun was there on my way home, without Minseok. And he was crying.” 

Chanyeol cooed in sympathy. “On the subway? Oh, poor thing. That’s the worst.” 

“It could have been for literally any reason, Dae,” Junmyeon reasoned. 

“I know. That’s why I sat next to him and gave him a tissue.” 

“Did you actually talk to him?” Junmyeon looked so surprised that Jongdae was briefly offended. 

“Yes, I did. And he mentioned having to move out suddenly and that he was living with a friend until he could find a new place.” 

Chanyeol hissed through his teeth. “Yeah, that does sound like a breakup.” 

“Okay, I admit it does. But you can’t know for sure!” Junmyeon nodded with finality. “Time will tell. Now, are you staying for dinner?” 

Jongdae reeled a bit with the abrupt change of direction. Chanyeol caught his bewildered look and smiled in sympathy. “Uh, sure?” 

“Great!” Junmyeon sprang up and headed for the kitchen, leaving Chanyeol and Jongdae to trail in his wake. 

“He seems, wound up,” Jongdae muttered to Chanyeol. 

He got a gusty sigh in response. “His clients have been stressful lately, I think. And there’s only so much I can do to help him decompress.” 

“You’d think with how much sex you two have he’d be less stressed.” 

“Hey, I’m doing my best here.” Chanyeol drained the rest of his wine in a long gulp. “But you know how he is…barely finished with one thing before he’s moving on to the next, never stopping to rest.” He poured himself more wine. “He’ll figure things out with his clients soon enough, and things will die down.” 

Junmyeon whirled back into the room before Jongdae could respond. “Come on, you two. Dinner is ready.” 

Jongdae started to see Baekhyun everywhere. 

Often, it was in the crowded traincars, his pink hair acting as a beacon for Jongdae. Sometimes he would pluck up the nerve to approach, spending a few stops chatting softly with Baekhyun. He was easy to talk to, his smile coming quicker to his face with each day that passed, less sadness in his eyes. 

Jongdae didn’t know if he was happy or sad that Baekhyun seemed to be moving on so quickly from Minseok. Especially when he could see how glum Minseok remained. 

As days passed and he continued to see Minseok look quiet and far away each morning, Jongdae tried to work up the nerve to approach. He wasn’t like Baekhyun, who was so open with his expressions that Jongdae felt like he could easily approach. Minseok was closed off, face carefully blank, aloof in ways that felt cold without Baekhyun’s smiles to soften his edges. 

“I don’t know how to approach him,” Jongdae whined, brushing past Junmyeon and walking into his apartment as soon as he’d opened the door. He’d come straight from the train, where all he’d managed was a small smile at Minseok when their eyes met. 

“I’m fine Jongdae, thanks for asking,” Junmyeon griped, shutting the door behind him. “Should I make more food, or is this a short visit?” 

“No, I have to prep for my lessons tomorrow. I just needed to vent.” He followed Junmyeon into the kitchen, sitting at the table and sipping from the wine glass Junmyeon put in front of him. 

He’d clearly caught Junmyeon mid-prep on dinner. The sleeves of his button down were rolled up to his elbows, hair falling from its style in a way that suggested it had been purposely ruffled, contacts out and the glasses he always kept for lazy nights in slipping down his nose. 

“I think you need to do something else.” Junmyeon pushed his glasses further up his nose. “Start going to a gym or something—obsessing like this isn’t healthy.” He stirred something in a saucepan, one hand on his hip as he looked at Jongdae over his shoulder. 

“For the entire year you were pining after Chanyeol you did nothing but obsess over how to get his attention, only to act aloof every time you succeeded,” Jongdae rebutted, crossing his arms. “You don’t have a leg to stand on.” 

“Wait, you did _what?”_ Chanyeol popped his head into the room, a gleeful expression slowly spreading over his face. “Did I just hear that my calm, collected husband was anything but?” 

Junmyeon looked at Jongdae calmly, and said, “I’m going to kill you very slowly.” 

Chanyeol came properly into the room and cooed over Junmyeon for a long moment while Jongdae tried to stifle his laugher at the simultaneously flustered and murderous expression on Junmyeon’s face. 

“As usual, though, Jun is right,” Chanyeol remarked, once he’d finished covering Junmyeon’s face in kisses. “You should go to the gym. It will help take your mind off things and make you…” he gestured to Jongdae vaguely, “all that more appealing.” 

“You just gestured to all of me.” 

Chanyeol beamed at him. Junmyeon picked up a knife. 

“I’m going to leave before I’m insulted further or killed.” An ominous silence followed him as he left their apartment, which meant they’d probably started making out. 

“Are you fucking kidding me.” 

Jongdae’s mind was a litany of curses as he walked into the gym two nights later, watching as Minseok did several bicep curls in a far corner. What were the odds, that the one gym he picked would be the same one Minseok went to? He didn’t even _know_ Minseok worked out, although it was obvious in hindsight. 

Once he could think past the shock of it, considering they took the same metro line they clearly lived in the same area of the city, but it still felt like a huge cosmic joke. Chanyeol was going to be insufferable for weeks when he found out. He’d come late enough at night that the gym was mostly empty, save for him and Minseok, and one other guy by the mirrors with heavy rap seeping from his airpods. 

Trying not to visibly creep on Minseok, he set down his water bottle, started his own music, and began the routine he’d picked—something to ease back into the habit of exercising. He made it halfway through his workout when he caught the movements of the guy by the mirrors, feeling his own eyebrows lift in amusement as he danced wildly to whatever he was listening to for a full ten seconds. 

He shifted his gaze away quickly before he laughed out loud, his eyes catching with Minseok’s equally amused expression. They shared a silent exchange across the gym, a simple, _What’s with that guy?_ from Jongdae. 

_Hell if I know,_ Minseok’s eyebrows said. 

Jongdae was content with that level of exchange. It was enough of an interaction that he could use it to approach him the next time he saw him on the train. Minseok headed for the locker rooms shortly after, and Jongdae spent long enough finishing up his own sets that he didn’t anticipate running into Minseok in the locker rooms. 

It would seem fate was having an incredibly fun time making an idiot of him because Minseok was in the locker room when he walked in, and they were completely alone. With only one long row of lockers against the wall, there was no chance of hiding from him. Moving quickly, Jongdae went to the locker he’d stashed his clothes in and began changing. 

“You have great form,” Minseok said, as Jongdae had his head halfway through the collar of his shirt. 

He fought to free himself from fabric. “Excuse me?” 

The very tops of Minseok’s cheeks looked pink, although from several feet away Jongdae couldn’t be sure. “I didn’t mean to sound creepy, I promise I wasn’t leering at you.” 

“No, it’s not that,” Jongdae rushed to assure him. “I haven’t worked out in months; I’m surprised I even _have_ a form.” 

The tension eased out of Minseok’s shoulders. “Well, you do.” His eyes flicked over him quickly, head to toe. “A very good one.” 

“Thank you,” Jongdae choked out, certain that Minseok was _flirting with him?_ “Do you come here often?” 

“Yeah, it’s my usual gym.” Minseok lifted his tank top off, revealing a small, compact torso cut with muscle. Jongdae felt his mouth go dry and tried not to stare. “I think I’ve seen you on the train before?” 

He allowed himself a chuckle. “In the mornings, yeah. I used to see you in the evenings, but I guess you’ve started taking the early train with me.” He was aware of how shamelessly he was fishing for information, but he couldn’t help it. 

Minseok grimaced, rummaging in his gym bag for a moment before looking back at Jongdae. “I started working later, I guess.” 

“Where do you work, if you don’t mind me asking?” Jongdae gave him the smile Junmyeon said made him look like a shameless flirt. “What do you do?” 

“I’m an editor,” Minseok replied, sipping from his water bottle as he closed the locker he’d been using. “I work at a publishing company.” 

He made a noise of surprise. “Oh, that’s so interesting! I don’t know anything about writing unless it’s music, though. What’s it like, being an editor?” 

Minseok pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. “I need to get home; I’ve got an early start tomorrow.” He looked at Jongdae apologetically. “But I’d love to talk to you more, maybe over coffee?” 

“Sure,” Jongdae agreed easily. “I’ve got a fairly flexible schedule, what about you?” 

“Mind if I get your number?” Minseok bit his lip, eyebrows raised hopefully. “I’m not as flexible, I’m afraid.” 

He scrambled for his phone, finding it buried beneath his clothes at the bottom of his own bag. With a sheepish smile, he dutifully held out his phone so Minseok could scan his KKT, their phone chirping happily as they connected. 

“I’ll see you later, then?” Jongdae asked as they walked out together. “I really do want to know more about your job. It sounds fascinating.” 

“It’s really not,” Minseok laughed, giving Jongdae a small but sweet smile. “But yes. I’ll message you.” 

“Can’t wait.” Jongdae jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Well, I’m this way.” 

“Ah, shame. I’m the other way.” Minseok gave him a shy wave. “I’ll see you, I’m sure.” 

“Goodnight.” He couldn’t help but watch Minseok walk away. 

It didn’t hit him until the next day, when he saw Baekhyun on the train, that he had no idea what he was trying to do. Befriend them both? Convince them to get back together? Baekhyun spotted him, waving him over to stand next to him in the crowded evening train, leaning into his space to murmur a soft hello. 

“How are you today?” 

Jongdae looked into Baekhyun’s bright eyes, wondering if he’d already moved on from Minseok. Wondering if there was a part of him that wished he had. “Sore.” 

Baekhyun’s eyebrows disappeared into his fluffy fringe. “From?” 

“I went to the gym last night for the first time in a while.” He rolled his shoulders. “I’m more out of shape than I thought.” He panicked slightly, as Baekhyun’s expression clouded over. 

“My ex went to the gym a lot.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah. I think, at the end, it was more to get away from me than to actually work out.” 

An arrow to the heart would have hurt less than hearing that. “Oh, Baekhyun that’s awful.” 

Baekhyun visibly shook himself. “I’m making him sound awful. He wasn’t, just. Things were tense before the end.” He smiled, letting the motion of the train sway him into Jongdae’s shoulder. “He was actually much better to me than I probably deserved.” 

Jongdae made a sound in the back of his throat. “I doubt that.” 

Baekhyun turned wide eyes on him. 

“You deserve to be treated so gently,” Jongdae said softly. “I think so, at least.” 

Baekhyun’s confused expression morphed into a sunny smile, his eyes sparkling in the terrible lighting of the train. “Oh, that’s very sweet of you to say.” His cheeks started to match his hair for a moment. 

Jongdae shrugged, enjoying the fluttering Baekhyun’s smile sparked between his ribs. “It’s what I think, anyway.” 

“Are you always this sweet to people you meet on trains?” 

Summoning all his courage, Jongdae winked. “Only the pretty ones.” 

He watched in delight as Baekhyun’s face shifted between surprise and shock before settling on incredulous laughter, brightening the car around them and making Jongdae beam back. His boldness paid off, he watched joy suffuse Baekhyun’s expression. 

“I finally got you to admit you think I’m pretty,” Baekhyun replied, leaning into Jongdae a little more. 

“Maybe I just like the way you look when you laugh.” The words slipped out before he could think, and he bit his lip before he said anything else too revealing. 

Baekhyun eyed him from the corner of his eye, considering. “You can say no, but would you like to come and hear me sing sometime?” 

“I. Yes.” Jongdae was taken aback by the suddenness of the question, but pleased nonetheless. “I’d enjoy that, but what prompted you to ask?” 

“Well, if you like my laugh, and you’re a vocal teacher, it stands to reason you’ll like my singing voice.” He shrugged. “Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to ask you out.” 

The announcer signaled his stop as the train began to slow. “I’d like that,” Jongdae rushed to get out. He didn’t have time to give Baekhyun his number, the crowd already shuttling him toward the doors. “I’ll give you my number tomorrow, deal?” 

“Have a good day!” 

Jongdae watched Baekhyun as long as he could until the doors closed, and the train whisked him away. 

“Shit.” 

With a definite date from Baekhyun upcoming, and a meet-up with Minseok scheduled, Jongdae began to worry a hole in his living room floor. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted them to fall back in love with each _other,_ not move on. Right? 

Or was he okay with them moving on if it was with him? No. That was selfish. He needed to know why they broke up in the first place. They’d seemed so happy, so in love. Surely it wasn’t beyond repair? He wasn’t even sure if Minseok had asked him out. He was probably overthinking it. 

“Oh, he definitely asked you out, Dae,” Junmyeon hummed absently later that day, as they were getting lunch at their favorite café. “If he made a point of checking you out, asking you to get coffee. It’s a date.” He took a bite of his sandwich, eyeing Jongdae while he chewed. “When are you guys going out?” 

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Maybe the earth would swallow him whole if he asked nicely, and then he wouldn’t have to go out with either of them. “And I’m going to listen to Baekhyun sing this weekend.” 

“You should probably tell them, at some point, that you know they used to date at the very least.” 

“Yeah, and how do you suggest I approach that. ‘Fun fact! I used to watch you with your ex on the train and I fell in love with your relationship, and I think you should get back together instead of moving on’?” He scoffed. “I’m not that stupid.” 

“Well, I wouldn’t approach it like that.” His phone buzzed on the table. “Chanyeol says you should come clean. He thinks the sooner the better.” He gave Jongdae a tight smile. “I agree with him, for the record.” 

“I mean, maybe it’s not a date? I’m probably reading too much into it. It’s probably just platonic.” 

“Right.” Junmyeon looked highly skeptical. “I don’t have time to argue with your denial, but let us know how it goes.” He finished off the last of his lunch. 

“I have no idea how I’m going to get them back together,” Jongdae mused, stirring his tea and staring into its depths like they would tell him what to do. “I’ll figure it out, though.” 

“Conversely,” Junmyeon interjected, “you could pick one and date him.” 

Jongdae gave him a look that he thought conveyed what he thought about that suggestion. “They belong together.” 

“And where do you belong, in this equation?” 

“I liked you better when you were having a gay crisis over Chanyeol.” 

“If you wanted platitudes, you shouldn’t have become best friends with a therapist. I’m morally obligated to ask you the tough questions.” He nodded at Jongdae’s food. “Are you going to finish that? Or are you going to make me late to work in addition to ignoring all the advice I give you free of charge?” 

“Oh, just go,” Jongdae huffed, throwing his napkin on the table. “Leave me to my misery.” 

Junmyeon stood, messing up Jongdae’s hair. “I’ve got a client soon anyway, but hang in there, and tell them the truth. Don’t be a wimp.” 

He shoved Junmyeon’s hands out of his hair, shooing him away. “Begone, you menace.” Junmyeon beamed at him cheekily before walking quickly from the café, ultimately leaving Jongdae with more worries than he’d started with. 

Finishing his food, he sighed before getting up. He still had a few more lessons before he could see Baekhyun on the train tonight. 

Oddly enough, he didn’t see Minseok on the train the next morning. He was partly relieved, since he wasn’t certain what he would have said anyway. How did he talk to someone he was going to be meeting for coffee later? 

His day flew by, his lessons passing smoothly, until it was time for him to take an early train home and get ready. It occurred to him, in a voice that sounded annoyingly like Junmyeon’s, that if it was nothing more than a casual meeting he wouldn’t be putting so much thought into his appearance. 

Jongdae ignored what Junmyeon and Chanyeol had told him, certain that they were mistaken. And yet, when he arrived at the coffee shop he’d agreed to meet Minseok at, he began to suspect they were right after all. 

Minseok was dressed very attractively, fitted dark jeans and a simple cream sweater, his hair styled carefully away from his face. Jongdae smiled and waved, putting in his own order before joining Minseok at his table. 

When he approached, Minseok stood to greet him, leaning in and kissing his cheek, erasing any doubts Jongdae had about the nature of this coffee meet-up. 

He hated when Junmyeon was right. 

“You look nice,” Minseok complimented, once they were both seated. He reached out to finger the cuff of Jongdae’s grey sweater, brushing against the sensitive skin of his inner wrist. “Cozy.” 

He was speechless for a moment, tingles rushing up his arm at Minseok’s touch. “Thank you,” he finally managed. “So do you.” 

Minseok had such an adorable smile, when he managed to coax it out of him. His cheeks rounded out, his gums showing, and Jongdae had to clench his fingers into fists to keep from poking the shallow divot in his cheek. 

“How has your day been?” 

“Long.” Jongdae paused as their drinks appeared. Minseok’s fingers were still resting lightly against his wrist. “I’m glad it’s over.” 

“Was work stressful?” Minseok’s fingers started to trace circles against his pulse, blood rushing in Jongdae’s veins. 

“If by stressful you mean difficult to coax reluctant teenagers to use their diaphragm instead of their chest, then yes. But otherwise, nothing dire.” He took a drink of his latte with his left hand, unwilling to remove his right from under Minseok’s fingers. “What about yours?” 

“My day went smoothly! One of my authors got their manuscript in earlier than expected, which always makes things nice. We had an intern mix up everyone’s coffee orders, which was funny, although I don’t think Tao thought so.” Minseok blinked. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to prattle.” 

Jongdae shook his head quickly. “No, it’s alright. I think your job is so fascinating.” 

“Oh, but that’s how I feel about yours! You’re a vocal trainer, right? I think I remember you saying something about voice lessons in your texts.” He continued when Jongdae nodded enthusiastically. “Tell me about it?” 

The next hour flew by as they swapped stories about their jobs, drinks slowly becoming tepid as they were forgotten in favor of laughing with each other in the soft lighting of the shop. At some point, Minseok’s fingers drifted gently down until they were tangled loosely with Jongdae’s, and he was so wrapped up in the story he was telling he didn’t even notice until Minseok was halfway through a story of intern Tao and his ongoing battles with the printer. 

His spine lit up like a sparkler, tingles cascading along his skin at the casual intimacy, the confidence in Minseok’s gestures. If he happened to lean his chin into his other hand and gaze at Minseok with a gooey gaze while he kept talking, he wasn’t sure if there was anyone who would blame him. He hadn’t realized how captivating and magnetic Minseok could be. No wonder Baekhyun had fallen for him. 

An hour of his undivided attention, and Jongdae couldn’t be sure he wasn’t falling either. 

When they parted ways much later, the sun sinking below the cityscape and fall’s chill setting in, Minseok pulled him in for a hug, kissing him briefly on the cheek once more. “I’m really glad we did this. I’d like to see you again?” 

“Yes, definitely,” Jongdae confirmed, squeezing Minseok once, a little tighter, before letting go and stepping back. “I’d like that.” 

“Me too.” Minseok smiled, soft and sweet, as he began to walk backwards. “I’ll call you.” 

“Have a good night,” Jongdae called after him, watching him walk away. When he was out of sight, it hit him. 

He was in trouble. 

Somehow, he managed to shake off his date with Minseok for long enough that he could get ready for his date with Baekhyun. It was weird to go on back to back dates with two different people, especially when those people had dated each other. But he was determined that his plan work, if only he knew what his plan was. 

The club Baekhyun sang at was fancier than he’d expected. The main floor was dimly lit, heavy drapes of red velvet partitioning sections of the room and dimming the conversations happening in the secluded booths and tables. Each table was illuminated softly with gently flickering candles, halos of light dotting the room. His steps made very little noise against the plush dark carpet. 

His estimation of Baekhyun’s talent rose ever higher. 

Speaking of, he started looking for a familiar head of cotton candy hair, his eyes snagging on Baekhyun easily, as he was headed right for Jongdae. 

“Hey!” Baekhyun rushed up to him, smiling and slightly out of breath. “Were you waiting long?” 

Jongdae tucked his hands in his pockets, looking over Baekhyun. He looked nice, in black jeans, a silky blue button-up and a blazer that made his shoulders look broad. “Not long at all; I just got here.” 

“Great! Uh, I go on in about three minutes, so I can’t chat long.” Baekhyun’s leg was jiggling. Nerves, Jongdae thought. “You should get a table, though.” 

He glanced around, spotting a few free tables. “Okay. Good luck tonight,” he wished, giving Baekhyun’s arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll be amazing.” 

Baekhyun breathed out, shakily, wringing his hands. “Thank you. Okay. I’m going.” He skittered to the small stage at the back of the club, a pianist already sitting at the piano, microphone stand lit by a single spotlight. 

Jongdae found a small table at the side of the room, intended for two, and flagged down one of the waitresses, ordering a drink. The hum of the room dimmed as the pianist began playing a soft intro, Baekhyun stepping into the light as he introduced himself. 

The sound that followed left Jongdae speechless, and he spent most days teaching people how to coax the absolute best out of their voices. But Baekhyun had a voice like he’d never heard, smoothly dancing between falsetto and his chest voice like a happily babbling brook, light and effortless. The waitress delivered his drink, but he barely noticed. 

Baekhyun was utterly captivating, his eyes sparkling under the lights as his voice danced through the room, smiling like he couldn’t wait to pull everyone under the spell of his performance. Jongdae was drowning, like a sailor for a siren, from the first notes. 

Eventually he remembered his drink, sipping from it between songs, watching Baekhyun’s eyelids flutter as he lost himself in the music. Jongdae could spend the rest of his life listening to Baekhyun sing, and that scared him more than he cared to admit. 

How had Minseok let someone like Baekhyun go? 

“So, what do you think?” Baekhyun asked, during a break in his sets. “Am I any good?” 

Jongdae smiled at him, reaching out and taking his hand. “You’re incredible. Truly, I can’t remember the last time I heard a voice so beautiful.” 

Baekhyun blinked at him in apparent surprise. “Oh, I didn’t expect that. Thank you.” He looked down at where their hands were clasped, his ears darkening under the lights. “I don’t usually sing for people I like.” 

“Well, I’m honored you let me hear you, angel.” He lifted their hands to his mouth, kissing the back of Baekhyun’s quickly. “I’m sure you sang for your ex, right?” 

“Once or twice, but he was often so busy that our lives didn’t intersect much outside of home.” He shrugged. “We were very different. Probably why it didn’t work out in the end.” 

“Do you still love him?” 

Baekhyun looked up sharply. “You’re not a rebound.” 

“Good to know. But that’s not why I asked.” 

He watched as Baekhyun bit his lip. “I do. I love him a lot, it will take a while for that to fade. Why do you ask?” 

Jongdae aimed for nonchalance. “I saw you with him sometimes, on the train. It looked like you both cared for each other deeply.” 

“We did,” Baekhyun nodded, his shoulders slumping slightly. “We weren’t a perfect match, but we were _good._ Until we weren’t good enough I guess.” 

“For you, or for Minseok?” 

“For Min—wait. How do you know his name?” 

Shit. “I heard you say it once, on the train.” Jongdae hoped honesty would save him. Junmyeon and Chanyeol _had_ said to tell them both the truth. “I often took the same train back as the two of you did. I swear I’m not stalking you.” 

Baekhyun let go of his hand. “It’s creepy.” 

Jongdae floundered. “I swear, I’m not trying to be weird.” 

Baekhyun crossed his arms. “Then what _are_ you trying to do?” 

Well, it was now or never. “Get…the two of you back together?” 

“Unfuckingbelieveable.” Baekhyun took a step back. “I don’t want to know, but why?” 

“Because you both seemed so happy! And you’ve both been miserable ever since.” And maybe he was a little in love with them both. “I wanted to fix it.” 

It took Baekhyun a moment to process his words, and he took it as a good sign that he didn’t run screaming. “Then why agree to this date with me?” 

Jongdae rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, because in trying to get you two back together, I might have also realized that I’d started to fall for you…both.” If Baekhyun didn’t kill him, he was going to strangle Chanyeol. This was such a bad idea. Lying would have been much better. 

Baekhyun dragged a hand down his face. “I can’t deal with this right now. I have to go back up there.” He gave Jongdae a hard look. “Don’t go anywhere, we aren’t done talking.” 

And that was how Jongdae spent the second half of Baekhyun’s set cultivating a nice blend of anxiety and fear in his gut, furiously texting Junmyeon. 

**< <Jongdae**

_I can’t believe you encouraged me to tell him the truth_

**> >Myeonnie**

_???? what happened??_

**< <Jongdae**

_He got really upset, stormed off to sing his second set and told me we’d talk later_

**> >Myeonnie**

_Better question: what did you say_

**< <Jongdae**

_Well_

_I accidentally said Minseok’s name when he’s never told me it_

**> >Myeonnie**

_You absolute moron_

_Chanyeol is on the floor, giggling_

**< <Jongdae**

_IT JUST SLIPPED OUT_

**> >Myeonnie**

‘ _just slipped out’ dae you’re self-sabotaging and it’s not pretty to watch_

**< <Jongdae**

_I’m not trying to!!_

_He’s very pretty it’s intimidating okay_

**> >Myeonnie**

_Get ur head in the game kim_

_Fix it_

**< <Jongdae**

_I’m t r y i n g_

At the end of Baekhyun’s set—which was just as captivating and beautiful as the first—Jongdae downed the rest of his drink and braced as Baekhyun marched up to him. Baekhyun grabbed his hand and dragged him out a side door and into the alley behind the club. 

“Is this the part where you kill me?” he joked weakly. 

“You can’t get us back together, Jongdae.” Baekhyun dropped his hand, crossing his arms once more. 

“We won’t know until we try!” Jongdae adopted a serious expression. “Look, I know it’s complicated and crazy, but I really think you two belong together.” 

“Jongdae! He broke up with me because I’m a needy, impulsive gremlin that plays too many video games and doesn’t clean. There’s too much about me that doesn’t fit! It’s pointless! I admire your determination, but he dumped me for a reason.” He bit his lip, looking down at his shoes. “They always do.” 

“Oh, sweetheart.” He couldn’t help himself. The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. He barreled ahead. “There’s nothing wrong with you.” 

“They obviously thought so,” he replied mulishly. 

“Well I don’t. I think you’re pretty damn perfect.” 

“That’s just—” he looked up, eyes wide. “What did you say?” 

Jongdae stepped closer, cupping Baekhyun’s cheek and relishing the small gasp that eeked from Baekhyun’s parted lips. “I said, you’re pretty damn perfect to me.” He closed the remaining distance between them, catching the flutter of Baekhyun’s lashes before their lips met. 

He poured everything into the kiss, all his pent-up desire and frustration, the longing he’d felt for so many weeks, his joy at being able to kiss Baekhyun finally. 

Hope that he wasn’t making a mistake. 

Baekhyun whimpered into the kiss, winding his arms around Jongdae’s neck and swaying closer, tilting his head to encourage a deeper angle. 

Jongdae’s heart sang. 

“I’m not sure how kissing me factors into your plan to get me and Minseok back together,” Baekhyun murmured, pulling back to breathe. 

“Maybe I want both of you, in the process.” He’d had many conversations with Junmyeon about this. About the possibility of wanting _more_ than just one person, and whether or not that made him selfish. And when he fell for both of them, in love with the way they loved each other, it only solidified his resolve. 

He would make this work. 

“Both? Of us?” Baekhyun asked between kisses, still clinging to Jongdae, relaxed and open in his arms. “Like, all three? Together?” 

Jongdae let his laugher spill over into Baekhyun’s mouth, enjoying the way it made Baekhyun lick at his smile, lips clumsy. “Yes, all three together.” 

Baekhyun pulled away slightly, blinked several times, then said, “You can _do_ that?” 

“Of course, you can.” Jongdae stroked Baekhyun’s cheek. “Why limit yourself to loving one person, if you have more love to give?” 

“Well when you put it like that.” Baekhyun pouted at him. “I’m still mad at you though. What you did was creepy.” 

He tried, and failed, not to whine. “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to approach the two of you when you were together. It felt too much like trying to insert myself somewhere I didn’t belong, but when you were all alone and so upset that day...I couldn’t help it. And now we’re here, for better or worse.” 

“I hate that you’re so charming,” Baekhyun muttered. “Fine. But Minseok is stubborn. And he had legitimate reasons for breaking up with me. I’m a bit of a disaster.” 

“He loves you. I’m certain of it. We’ll convince him he made a mistake.” Jongdae risked a kiss to the tip of Baekhyun’s nose, smiling reflexively when Baekhyun scrunched it. 

“You’re very optimistic.” 

“It’s love. How can I not be optimistic about the greatest thing humans do?” He hugged Baekhyun a little tighter. “Speaking of, I’d like to take you out soon.” 

“Like, on a date?” 

“No, I’m going to murder you.” He rolled his eyes. “Yes, Baekhyun, I just kissed you. Of course, a date.” 

“Okay.” Baekhyun leaned in, pressing his smile against Jongdae’s. “I’ll allow it.” 

He got lost, for a long moment, in kissing Baekhyun. It was so soft, sweet the way their lips fit. Baekhyun kissed like he was too full of energy and happiness to contain it all, spilling through his kiss until Jongdae felt giddy off it. 

“We should probably stop making out in a dark alley. People might think we’re up to something.” 

“Let them think,” Baekhyun whispered, reeling Jongdae back in. “I don’t care.” 

Were Junmyeon there, he probably would have berated Jongdae for kissing Baekhyun when they had so much more to talk about, but he pushed the thought aside. There would be more time to sort things out. Just then, he was too preoccupied memorizing the taste of Baekhyun, the press of him against his lips. 

There was time. 

Over the next several days, Jongdae and Baekhyun developed a plan to win Minseok back, much to Junmyeon’s dismay. 

“Aren’t you afraid this is going to come off as some sort of group manipulation, or gaslighting?” Junmyeon was frowning at him, pacing slowly in his office. 

From where he was sprawled across Junmyeon’s couch, Jongdae said, “We aren’t trying to trick him. Just...convince him he misses Baekhyun and also likes me.” 

“I’m stating, for the record, that I think this is a bad idea. He’ll probably be mad when he finds out, and you’ll lose him.” 

He had a point, and Jongdae didn’t disagree, but, “If it works, though, everyone will be happy, and they won’t be heartbroken.” He summoned his most convincing smile. “The reward outweighs the risk.” 

“Stop trying to charm me with your smile. I’m immune.” 

“Myeonnie.” 

“Dae.” 

They stood off for a few tense seconds before Junmyeon caved. “Fine! You little demon. But when this goes wrong, I _will_ gloat about it.” 

“Of course. But it won’t.” 

Junmyeon pursed his lips. “We’ll see.” 

Jongdae and Minseok developed a regular gym routine, in which Minseok let him know which nights he was planning on going to the gym and Jongdae _only_ went on those nights. He wasn’t in it for the exercise, and he didn’t think Minseok was any under illusions he was. 

He was starting to tone up more, though, which wasn’t the worst thing. 

A week after his date with Minseok (and Baekhyun) and Jongdae had spent several nights working out with Minseok...and nothing else. Which was fine. But he was eager to progress, push for more, but Minseok seemed very friendly in a way that implied distance was preferred. 

“Hey, Minseok?” 

“Yeah?” Minseok was bench pressing, Jongdae spotting for him. 

“Is there a reason we haven’t gone on another date?” 

He had to scramble to catch the bar as Minseok’s breath huffed out of him and his arms gave out. 

“Jongdae, the fuck?” he wheezed, helping Jongdae place the bar back on the rack and sitting up. 

“Sorry. But I’ve been wondering. I had a really great time on our date.” 

Minseok huffed. “So did I, but I recently broke up with someone, and it was a pretty serious relationship, so I didn’t want to jump into something immediately, no matter how much I might like them.” 

Hope surged in Jongdae. If Minseok hadn’t moved on yet, that boded well for Baekhyun. “Have you talked to anyone about it?” He bit his lip. “We can be friends, for now.” 

“I thought we already were friends?” 

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course.” He walked with Minseok to a different machine. “Do you need to talk about it?” 

Minseok shrugged. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about how I broke up with my ex, and then regretted it a few days later.” 

Oh, he definitely did want to know. “Tell me about it.” 

He received some serious side-eye from Minseok. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a little peculiar?” 

Several instances of Junmyeon bemoaning his specific eccentricities and quirks ran through his head in a rapid montage. “Once or twice, maybe.” 

“I don’t know, it was a really good relationship, but by the end it felt like we were slightly mismatched, always a touch out of step with one another.” He shook his head, fiddling with some weights. “At the time, it felt like an incompatibility we couldn’t overcome, and I was so stressed with work that I didn’t pause to consider my stress could be affecting my feelings towards him. A few days later, once things calmed down at work, I realized I’d made a mistake.” 

“Then, why not just...reach out to him? Tell your ex what you just told me!” He was so shocked. This whole time, a simple conversation could have fixed everything. 

Minseok looked up from his hands, something about his gaze making Jongdae feel evaluated. “That’s not what I expected you to say. I thought you were interested in me?” 

“I am.” Jongdae paused, collecting his thoughts. “But that means I’m also interested in your happiness, and if that’s with someone else, who am I to deny you that?” 

His words got a slow, thoughtful blink. “That’s really selfless, Jongdae.” He grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly. “I appreciate it.” 

“My best friend is a therapist, so I’ve picked up a few things,” he chuckled, trying to push aside the feeling that he’d just locked himself out of any potential happiness with Minseok and Baekhyun. If Minseok reached out to Baekhyun, and they got back together... 

He shook off his feelings. 

“Thanks for asking me to talk.” Minseok took a deep breath, maybe shaking off a few things of his own. “Now, should we move on to legs?” 

Jongdae groaned. 

**> >Baekhyun**

_Do u happen to kno why min called me?_

**< <Jongdae**

_Did you answer?_

**> >Baekhyun**

_No. I’m scared_

**< <Jongdae**

_You should take the call, baek_

Jongdae set down his phone and sighed deeply. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He looked over at Chanyeol just in time to see him flinch as his character died a grisly death on screen. “I think I’ve just shot myself in the foot, romantically speaking, and I’m going to die alone and unloved, eaten by my seven cats.” 

“Okay, first of all,” Chanyeol started, his character respawning. “You hate cats. Kyungsoo, cover me I’m going in.” Jongdae watched his character sprint across an open field while another—presumably Kyungsoo’s—shot down enemies. “Second of all,” he directed to Jongdae, absently pushing his headset mic away from his mouth, “how did you fuck it up?” 

“I convinced Minseok to talk to Baekhyun. He told me he regretted breaking it off, so I told him to reach out.” He gestured to his phone despondently. “Baekhyun just told me that Minseok called. I told him to take the call.” Not even Chanyeol dying could cheer him up, as Chanyeol’s character splattered across the screen. 

“Isn’t that a good thing, though?” Chanyeol’s character covered for Kyungsoo’s this time, and they made significant progress. “Didn’t you want them back together?” 

“That was before I kissed Baekhyun and found out how great Minseok was.” 

“You _what?”_ Chanyeol’s character stopped moving at a crucial moment, leaving Kyungsoo high and dry, both dying in rapid succession. Jongdae could hear Kyungsoo’s enraged yelling through Chanyeol’s headset. 

“At the end of our date, after I told Baekhyun everything, I sort of...kissed him?” 

Kyungsoo’s yelling ceased, and Chanyeol tilted his head, clearly listening to whatever Kyungsoo was saying. “Kyungsoo says you’re fucked.” 

“Thanks, Kyungsoo.” Jongdae flopped over and pulled a pillow over his head. “I know I should be happy, because they’re probably going to be happy again. But I’m sad.” 

“I only caught about half of that through the pillow, but I think you shouldn’t walk away from this so easily. You clearly have a friendship with Minseok, and Baekhyun obviously has some feelings for you if he kissed you back.” 

Jongdae removed the pillow from off his face. “What are you saying?” 

Chanyeol grunted, flinching away from a zombie as it dove straight for his character. “I’m saying that you shouldn’t give up just yet. You never know how life is going to turn out.” He and Kyungsoo tag-teamed a group of three zombies and advanced to the next stage. “Keep going to the gym with Minseok, talk to them on the train. Maybe one day things will change.” 

“Junmyeon is rubbing off on you.” 

“He’s certainly rubbing something.” 

“Annnd that’s my cue to leave. Thanks for chatting Yeol. Have fun getting your ass kicked by zombies.” 

“Don’t be a coward, Jongdae. You deserve to be happy too.” 

Jongdae was a coward. 

Plain and simple, he was the biggest chickenshit to ever exist. He’d dodged three calls from Baekhyun already and was staring at the recent text Baekhyun had sent him. 

**> >Baekhyun**

_jongdae talk to me_

_please?_

His phone screen went dark, and Jongdae wasn’t any closer to deciding. At this point, he was only delaying his inevitable disappointment. He already knew why Baekhyun wanted to talk. It was because he’d talked to Minseok, and he was trying to tell Jongdae he wasn’t interested any longer. Not when the person he’d been in love with wanted to get back together. 

Losing both in one fell swoop felt like the worst kind of luck. The one time he’d been selfless, and he’d lost everything he’d been hoping to gain. Sehun would probably laugh at him if he were still living with him, but he’d moved in with his boyfriend several months back and wasn’t even in the country for Jongdae to complain to anymore. Yixing had taken him to Europe for vacation, so that was out. 

And he didn’t want to talk to Junmyeon. Not when all he was going to get from that was a very sympathetic “I told you so.” 

His phone rang again, and he swiped to accept, closing his eyes and accepting the destruction of his love life. 

“Hello?” 

_“About time, you shit.”_

Well, that was one way to greet someone, he supposed. “Sorry, I was doing laundry.” 

_“For two hours? Sounds fake but okay. Anyway, now that I’ve got you on the line, I have something I wanted to say to you.”_

“Yeah? What’s that?” 

_“I talked with Minseok. He wants to get back together.”_

“That’s great Baekhyun.” Jongdae swallowed past the tightness in his throat. “I’m happy to hear that.” 

_“Are you?”_

He was glad Baekhyun couldn’t see his face. “Yeah, of course. You’re both in love with each other still. You should be together.” 

_“I told him you kissed me.”_

“You _what?”_

_“Well, I didn’t tell him it was you. I told him that I went on a date, and it was someone I liked a lot, so I let him kiss me.”_ There was a pause, where Jongdae thought maybe he was supposed to say something, but he was speechless. _“Funny enough, he said he’d also been on a date with someone. Said he’d thought about kissing him a lot but was too hung up on me to do it.”_

“Huh. That’s...something.” 

Baekhyun’s side of the phone was quiet for a strained moment. _“That’s all you have to say?”_

“Is there something else I’m supposed to say? I’m happy for you two. You deserve to be happy.” 

_“Okay. Thanks, Jongdae.”_

His stomach did a weird thing where it simultaneously sank to the center of the earth and also tried to make an untimely departure from his body through his mouth. “You’re welcome, Baekhyun.” 

_“Bye.”_ Baekhyun’s voice was short, clipped, almost bitter just before the line went dead. 

Jongdae dropped his phone on the couch, getting up and walking into his bedroom to collapse face first onto his bed, his pillow slowly growing damp. 

He was in the locker room of the gym when Minseok found him. 

“You looked good out there tonight,” Minseok commented, his fingers dragging against the hollow of Jongdae’s spine as he passed him, shoulders brushing as he went to the locker right next to Jongdae’s. 

He tried, and probably failed, to hide the shiver that wracked through him. “Thanks, so did you.” 

Minseok smirked. An expression Jongdae was beginning to associate with danger. “You always look good, though.” 

Jongdae pulled his shirt off, to give him a few extra seconds of thinking time, trying to figure out how to respond to that. “So do—” he cut off, Minseok suddenly much closer to him, going blurry with proximity. “You,” he finished, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

Minseok replied with a soft hum, his head tilting just so, their noses brushing. Jongdae sighed, letting his eyelashes flutter shut as Minseok closed the gap. At first it was soft, testing pressure, Minseok’s fingertips ghosting against his waist, every movement tentative. Jongdae responded to the kiss just as hesitant, feeling the fragile thing between them quivering in the air. 

He exhaled sharply through his nose as Minseok’s lips moved against his, testing, and something broke between them. Jongdae was pressed back into the lockers, cold metal shocking against his bare torso, making him gasp. His mouth was flooded with Minseok, lips and teeth and tongue as Jongdae sank his fingers into Minseok’s hair, Minseok’s hands grasping at his rib cage and pinning him against the lockers as weeks of mutual longing hit at once. 

Jongdae nipped at his bottom lip before sucking away the sting, coaxing a low growl out of Minseok, who pressed even closer, his thigh slotting between Jongdae’s legs. “Dae,” he hummed, his lips trailing down Jongdae’s neck. 

He ran his hands down Minseok’s back, feeling the long, firm muscles under his fingers, groaning and letting his head fall back against the metal with a _thunk_. “Minseok,” he gasped as Minseok bit at his neck, his hands trailing down to grab handfuls of his ass and drag him closer, making them both moan quietly as they pressed together. 

“You’re so…enchanting,” Minseok murmured against his lips, dipping back in for a kiss that dripped with want. 

“Funny,” Jongdae quipped, when Minseok let him breathe. “I feel the same about you.” 

One of Minseok’s eyebrows quirked. “Is that so?” He bent, his hands sliding down the back of Jongdae’s thighs, lifting him off the ground and pinning him to the lockers. “You’re a menace.” 

He gasped, locking his legs around Minseok’s waist, the jut of his hipbones pressing against the soft of his thighs. 

And then Minseok was moving them, dropping him back onto a soft surface, pressing him into cool sheets. 

He sighed happily as Minseok’s mouth moved down his torso, his hands shifting to grip Jongdae’s hips the right side of meanly. 

Another mouth was on his, kisses turning biting and playful as Minseok’s mouth made a home of the hollow of his hips. He opened his eyes and reached up to sink fingers into pink hair, humming happily as Baekhyun licked at his smile, gasping when Minseok swallowed him down, his mouth dropping open eagerly as Baekhyun approached, the tip of his dick nudging at Jongdae’s bottom lip. 

He woke up, groaning at how hard he was in his boxers, frustrated and guilty. Dreaming about kissing Baekhyun’s boyfriend should not turn him on so much, never mind Baekhyun’s appearance in said dream. 

He rolled over, pressing his face into his pillow and trying to will his erection down. He didn’t know if it was better or worse when fifteen minutes later, he shuddered apart, hips stilling against his mattress, pulling a sticky hand away. 

He was, as Kyungsoo had said, fucked. 

It shouldn’t have been a surprise when he saw Baekhyun and Minseok board the train together. He was too shocked to hide himself behind someone else before they spotted him, both moving toward him, their hands clasped between them. 

“Hey Jongdae,” they said at the same time, then looked at each other in surprise. 

“Wait, you know Jongdae?” Baekhyun asked Minseok. 

“Yeah, he’s the one I went on a date with, the one who goes to my gym?” 

Baekhyun’s mouth rounded into a small ‘O’ of surprise. “I should have known.” 

“How do you know Jongdae?” Minseok was looking between the two of them, an eyebrow raised. 

“We uh, also went on a date,” Jongdae supplied, since Baekhyun looked like he was still processing several things. 

For a moment, the only sound was the flange squeal of the train and low murmurs of other conversations around them. 

“Huh. What an odd coincidence,” Minseok said, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

“He’d seen us before on the train,” Baekhyun blurted, everything Jongdae had told him spilling out as Jongdae watched in horror. 

“Is that why you showed up at my gym? You were stalking me?” Minseok’s eyebrows were doing very scary things. 

“No! That was complete coincidence.” Jongdae was going to kill Baekhyun. Outed, just like that. 

“I see.” Minseok didn’t seem convinced, but Baekhyun leaned a head on Minseok’s shoulder, nudging at his jaw with his nose in a way that made Minseok relax instantly. 

“So, are you two back together?” Jongdae asked quietly, as Baekhyun and Minseok seemed to get lost in each other. 

Minseok and Baekhyun gazed at one another, making Jongdae feel like the odd one out for a moment, overwhelmed by the affection in their eyes. “Yeah, we’re still talking about a few things,” Baekhyun said, “but we are.” 

“I’m happy to hear that,” Jongdae said, mostly meaning it. “You guys seem right for each other.” 

“Thanks for convincing me to call him.” Minseok reached out and squeezed Jongdae’s hand on his thigh. “It’s because of you that we’re together again.” 

Jongdae smiled like Minseok’s words weren’t cutting through muscle and bone to all the squishy parts of him. “I’m glad I could help.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed. “Hopefully now you’ll actually talk to us on the train, instead of watching from afar.” 

He choked, coughed, then looked between them both as Minseok tutted and nudged Baekhyun. “Be nice, Baek. He was shy.” 

Jongdae hadn’t been called shy a day in his life, but they didn’t need to know that. “Of course not. We’re friends now. I look forward to riding the train with you.” 

Minseok and Baekhyun exchanged a look that clearly implied they were speaking in that sort of weird telepathy couples have. “So do we.” 

Jongdae didn’t quite know what to think about that. 

“Wow. You’ve really stepped in it this time huh?” 

“See, this is why I was dreading coming over here and telling you everything,” Jongdae huffed, shifting where he was sitting at Junmyeon’s kitchen table. 

Junmyeon had invited him over to ostensibly have dinner with him and his younger brother, but Jongdae was beginning to suspect it had been a trap. But at this point the wine had been poured, and Jongin—Junmyeon’s brother—had brought his boyfriend along, and Jongdae _had_ been dying to meet the famous Taemin. 

And Chanyeol was cooking, which normally wouldn’t be much of a draw, but apparently Kyungsoo had been teaching him some things. 

“That’s one hell of a story, Jongdae,” Taemin said, having gone through at least half the wine bottle by himself. He was absently stroking Jongin’s forearm with two fingers. 

“Husband, is the food ready yet?” Junmyeon slouched in his seat at the head of the table. “I’m perishing over here.” 

“The food does happen to be ready.” Chanyeol appeared with two trays of food in his massive hands. “Jongdae, don’t think this means you can stop talking.” He set the food on the table and took his place next to Jongdae, giving Jongin a smile from across the table. 

Taemin was still pinning Jongdae with an unnerving stare. 

“So, Jongdae,” Junmyeon continued, as Chanyeol dished up some food for him. “Exactly how long did you wait before you self-sabotaged yourself out of happiness. I’m asking from an academic standpoint.” 

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t self-sabotaging. It was obvious they’re still in love with each other. They were going to be happiest together, so that’s what I pushed them to do.” 

“Wow, hyung.” Jongin flipped his arm so Taemin’s fingers were trailing up and down his inner forearm. “You’re worse than I am.” 

“Stop. You’re perfect.” Taemin kissed him on the cheek. 

Jongdae was suddenly less hungry. 

“It doesn’t matter. I saw them on the train Friday, and they seemed happier than ever. Although they both were treating me a little weird.” 

“Weird how, exactly?” Junmyeon leaned forward, absently patting Chanyeol’s hand in thanks as he refilled his wine glass. 

Jongdae dished up his own food, frowning in thought. “I don’t know. Baekhyun has been weird ever since I told him to talk to Minseok.” 

“Probably because it was really clear you liked him, and then encouraged him to be with someone else like it didn’t matter to you.” 

“Wow, Chanyeol. Don’t hold back the punches.” 

“Chanyeol is right, though,” Jongin agreed. 

“Well I couldn’t very well keep going on dates with Baekhyun when he was back with Minseok.” 

“You realize your logic makes no sense, right?” Junmyeon remarked placidly. “That’s essentially what you were planning on doing before you found out Minseok still loved Baekhyun, right? Date them both and in doing so get them back together?” 

“What’s the difference if they decide to date you while they’re together?” Taemin posited, resting his chin in his hand. “Isn’t that exactly what you want them to do?” 

“I mean, I guess?” He hadn’t thought about it like that. “I feel a bit stupid now.” 

“Well, that’s why you have me as a friend. To tell you when you’re being stupid.” Junmyeon raised his glass to Jongdae, smirking. 

“Damn, and here I was thinking our friendship was based on all the free therapy you’ve given me over the years.” 

“Okay!” Chanyeol chirped. “Let’s eat, yeah?” 

He really should be used to admitting that Junmyeon was right most of the time. But he was such a _dork_ it was hard to swallow sometimes. He wasn’t sure how to proceed now, though, since his life was suddenly full of Minseok and Baekhyun each doing things with him when they could manage around their different schedules. 

He and Minseok still went to the gym semi-regularly (gross), and sometimes he swung by the jazz club to listen to Baekhyun sing a set. But in each instance, he always left before either of them could corner him for too long. He still wasn’t sure he could handle the strain of friendship with them if that’s all they wanted. 

Not when he wanted so much more. 

And each time they did something, it got worse. He would notice the way Baekhyun scrunched his nose whenever Minseok did something cute. Or Minseok would brush their hands together as they left the gym, and Jongdae would have to ruthlessly crush each butterfly as it fluttered up his ribs. It was a sweet kind of torture, in which he realized neither of them had any idea how much he was suffering. 

“Jongdae? Are you okay?” Baekhyun was peering at him curiously, his freshly dyed brown hair flopping into his eyes. 

Jongdae nodded, shaking of his musings. “Yeah, I’m fine. A bit tired this morning.” 

Baekhyun frowned, taking one of his hands in the one Minseok wasn’t holding. “I’m sorry. Anything we can do to help?” 

Minseok peered around Baekhyun, his concerned eyes and soft smile making his organs feel like pulp. “No, I think I’ll be okay,” Jongdae replied. “Thanks for offering, though.” 

“We can push off the gym tonight, if you’d like,” Minseok offered. “I don’t want to wear you out.” 

Oh, how Jongdae wished he’d wear him out. Preferably in a way that involved less clothes and a bed. 

“We could watch a movie at our place instead!” Baekhyun lit up, eyes sparkling despite the truly horrendous lighting of the train. 

Alarm bells started ringing, and it wasn’t coming from the train. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose on your evening.” 

Minseok and Baekhyun exchanged another one of their telepathic looks. “Trust me, you’d only be improving it,” Minseok chuckled. 

“Honestly, I was going to play video games while Minseok was at the gym. But spending time with both of you would be way better.” Baekhyun pouted at him. “Please, Dae? Come and relax with us tonight.” 

With both of them giving him imploring looks, what else could he say? “Okay. Sounds fun.” 

**> >Myeonnie**

_stop being a baby, dae_

_put on that sweater that makes your arms look good_

_and those jeans sehun got you for your birthday_

_and go over_

**< <Jongdae**

_but it’s haaaard_

**> >Myeonnie**

_no it rly isn’t_

_let them romance you_

_you know that’s what they’re doing_

_embrace it, coward_

**< <Jongdae**

_i hate you sometimes, you know_

**> >Myeonnie**

_i love you too_

_go get your men_

Jongdae did, in fact, put on the jeans Sehun had gotten him, but not because Junmyeon had said so. They were his best fitting pair, that was all. He did pick the sweater Junmyeon suggested, though. It was a very flattering forest green cashmere, soft to the touch and against his skin. 

By the time he was standing in front of the door Minseok’s directions had taken him to, the nerves were starting to hit. He shook out his hands and knocked before he could chicken out and go back home. 

“Jongdae!” Baekhyun opened the door with a cry of excitement, launching himself through to wrap Jongdae in a tight hug. 

“Hey, Baek.” Jongdae marveled at how natural it was to wrap his arms around Baekhyun, allowing himself a subtle press of his nose into hair that was too soft for how often Baekhyun dyed it. 

“Baekhyun, let him step inside first.” Minseok reached out and pulled Baekhyun back, gesturing for Jongdae to come in. “Sorry, he’s been excited to have you over.” 

“It’s okay,” Jongdae laughed, stepping out of his shoes, surprised when Minseok also hugged him, although much more briefly. 

“We’re both excited to have you over.” 

“You guys have a nice place,” he commented, following them out of the entry and into the apartment proper. It was very neat and clean, furniture a comfortable sort of modern, area rugs adding splashes of color on the dark wooden floors. 

“Thanks! I was glad when I hadn’t found a new place before Minseok and I talked it out. I was staying with this friend of mine while we were apart—Joongi, he’s an actor and almost never at his place—so I hadn’t started looking for a new place yet. It’s nice to be home.” Baekhyun clung to Minseok, who wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed Baekhyun’s cheek. 

“Anyway,” Minseok segued, “we thought keeping it low-key would be best. How do you feel about a movie?” 

Jongdae shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Sure. That sounds fine to me.” 

“Good!” Baekhyun grabbed his wrist, pulling him to the couch and pushing him onto the cushions, sitting next to him while Minseok got the movie started on the TV in front of them. 

He wasn’t expecting Minseok to sit on his _other_ side, throwing a blanket over their laps. 

Minseok grabbed a remote and pushed a few buttons, dimming the lights around them. 

He spent the first few minutes of the movie incredibly tense, afraid to breathe and accidentally touch either of them. His efforts jumped out the window with the last few shreds of his sanity when Baekhyun scooted closer, pressing against him and tucking his head against Jongdae’s shoulder. 

He hated when Junmyeon was right. 

He focused on the movie, relaxing into Baekhyun and trying to stay calm. He managed, too, until Minseok’s fingers danced against his on his thigh. He inhaled, shifting slightly as Minseok boldly laced their fingers together. 

Baekhyun shifted in reflex, wrapping his hands around Jongdae’s forearm and pulling his hand into Baekhyun’s lap. He no longer had any idea what to do, with both of them making him short circuit. With no other options and very weak willpower, he relaxed fully, resting his head on top of Baekhyun’s. 

By the time the movie ended, Jongdae had somehow ended up with his head on Minseok’s chest, Baekhyun’s in his lap, one hand tangled with Minseok’s, the other in Baekhyun’s hair. He probably could have died. It was absolute bliss. 

Minseok turned off the TV, and the room plunged into darkness, night having long since fallen. Jongdae blinked several times, trying to adjust to the limited light in the room, feeling Baekhyun shift. By the time his vision had adjusted he could see Baekhyun’s face far too close to his own. “Hi,” he said, for lack of anything else. 

“You know, I keep telling Minseok about what he’s missing out on, since I’ve kissed you and he hasn’t had the chance.” Baekhyun’s smile said nothing good. 

“Uh, oh.” Jongdae didn’t know how he was supposed to respond to that. “Okay?” 

Baekhyun’s smile widened, and the alarms in his head signaled critical levels of danger. “I think you should fix that for him.” 

Minseok’s hand tightened around his own. “Just so I’m clear here,” Jongdae said slowly, “you’re asking me to kiss your boyfriend? Right now?” 

It was a wonder Baekhyun’s face wasn’t splitting in half, his smile was so wide. “Right now.” 

Minseok’s arm snaked around his waist, untangling their hands to turn Jongdae’s face. “Come on, baby. Don’t be shy on us now.” 

Jongdae had never been shy a day in his life. Maybe it was time they realized that. He shifted, moving to straddle Minseok’s lap. “I never said I was shy.” 

He grabbed Minseok’s jaw and kissed him, sighing as their lips met. There was nothing hesitant about it, pent-up passion flowing between them, drowning their senses as everything was consumed by a craving for more, more, _more._ He ran his hands through Minseok’s hair, groaning as his lip was tugged between Minseok’s teeth. 

It was so much better than it had been in his dream. That could also be because after a blissful minute of learning the shape of Minseok’s mouth against his own, Baekhyun started kissing his neck, pushing the whole experience into transcendental territory. With Minseok’s hands sliding into his back pockets, and Baekhyun’s in his hair, forcing the angle of his kiss with Minseok to give him more room to suck marks into Jongdae’s neck, he got lost in the sensations, only surfacing once Minseok’s hands started guiding his hips into a steady grind. 

“Wait, what’s happening,” he gasped, pulling away. He placed a hand against each of their necks, his chest heaving against Minseok’s as he tried to catch his breath. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Minseok blinked up at him, licking his lips. When all Jongdae could do was gaze back with his mouth slightly open, Minseok added, “Babe, why don’t you enlighten him.” 

“We both talked, after seeing you on the train right after we’d gotten back together, and realized we wanted to keep dating you. And since it was something we both equally wanted, we decided to pursue it.” Baekhyun kissed his cheek softly. “So, how about it, Dae? Wanna date us?” 

Chanyeol and Junmyeon were going to hold this over him for years, but, “Yeah,” he nodded. “I really, really do.” 

Baekhyun grabbed his face and kissed him eagerly, Minseok’s arms wrapping around his waist tightly. And like that, Jongdae surrendered to the happiness flooding his system. 

Maybe he _could_ be selfish like this. Just once. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are good for the writer's soul <3


End file.
